Day 41: It’s Official

Today’s big news is that Rhode Island schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. Ugh. I also recently learned that our town has a funding shortfall for the 2020-2021 school year. As is always the case in such situations, art programs are first on the chopping block. That infuriates me. I was watching a TV show the other day, and in one scene there was a biology teacher explaining how mitosis works, and I thought to myself, “I remember learning that, but has it ever been of any practical use?” And the answer to that is, of course, no. Your average person has little use for information about cell division. I’m not saying that science isn’t important. It is important. But some aspects of science are less important than some aspects of art and music, and it’s foolish the way school boards always assume that anything labeled “science” or “math” is inherently worthier than anything labeled “art.” Art is important!